If
you're a wine lover on a budget, then exploring South American
wines could make you very happy. Vintage after vintage, there
are quality bottles at great prices. They do tend to be earthier
and less fruit forward than domestic offerings, but if you like
a drier style, then there's much to love. Here are three wines
our panel tasted recently:

Review:
Equal parts blueberry and blackberry blend with expressions
of floral earth and vanilla on the nose. Rich, dark flavors
of blueberries and bramble berries coalesce around notes
of pepper, earth, and vanilla on the palate. Lush fruit
is balanced by mouth-filling tannins, making this a wine
to open with a hearty chili.Rating: 90

Review:
Blackberries, currants, rose petal, and spice come together
on the nose. A balance of earthy, herbaceous, and dark
fruit flavors take shape on the palate. The tannins are
plush but the fruit is reserved making it a good match
for a homemade, mild bean and cheese burrito.Rating: 89

Review:
Plums and cherries come together with elements of earth
and chocolate on the nose. Rich fruit envelops the palate,
with strawberry, blackberry, and cherry leading the way,
as earth, chocolate and vanilla play in the background.
Not the bruiting, tannic wine that many Malbecs can be.
This is a lighter, less earthy and quite tasty take.Rating: 90

By
Jason Barlow

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Ratings
Key:

96
— 100

Spectacular

92
— 95

Outstanding

89
— 91

Great

85
— 88

Good

81
— 84

Solid

*Wines
rated with a "+" need
a bit more time to reach peak quality but will
do so over the coming years